Pati Jinich is host of the popular Emmy and James Beard nominated PBS series Pati's Mexican Table, author of two cookbooks, and resident chef at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, DC. This is her official website where she shares recipes from her show and new recipes in her blog, plus upcoming events, recent news, and more.

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Chicken in Green Salsa Tamal

Chicken in Green Salsa Tamal

Print Recipe

18tamalesTamales de Pollo con Salsa Verde

Ingredients

For the tamal dough or masa:

3/4cuplard, vegetable shortening, or seasoned oil(see note at end of recipe)

To make the tamal dough or masa: Place lard, vegetable shortening or seasoned oil in an electric mixer and beat until very light, about 1 minute. Add salt and 1 teaspoon of cold water and continue beating until it is white and spongy, a couple more minutes. Add the baking powder and then alternate adding the instant corn masa and the chicken broth a little at a time. Continue beating until dough is homogeneous and as fluffy as can get. You know the tamal masa is ready when you can drop 1/2 teaspoon of the masa in a cup of cold water and it floats.

To make the filling: Combine the salsa verde with the cooked shredded chicken.

To assemble the tamales: Soak the dried corn husks in hot water for a couple minutes, or until they are pliable, and drain. Lay out a corn husk with the tapering end towards you. Spread about 3 tablespoons of masa into about a 2 to 3-inch square, the layer should be about 1/4-inch thick, leaving a border of at least 1/2-inch on the sides. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle of the masa square.

Pick up the two long sides of the corn husk and bring them together (you will see how the masa starts to swaddle the filling) and fold the folded sides to one side, rolling them in same direction around tamal. Fold up the empty section of the husk, with the tapering end, from the bottom up. This will form a closed bottom and the top will be left open.

Assemble all the tamales and place them as vertically as you can in a container.

To prepare the tamalera or steamer: Place water in the bottom pan of a steamer (so that water is under the steamer) and bring it to a simmer. Line the steamer with one or two layers of soaked corn husks.

To cook the tamales: When you have all tamales ready, place them, again as vertically as you can, into the prepared steamer with the open end on top. If there is space left in the steamer, tuck in some corn husks, so the tamales won’t dance around. Cover with more corn husks, and steam covered with a lid for 50 minutes to an hour. You know the tamales are ready when they come easily free from the husks. They will still be moist, and as they are released from the husks, you will see the moisture, like when you remove good moist muffins from their paper baking cups.

Finished tamales will stay warm for about 2 hours in the steamer. They can be made ahead several days before and stored in refrigerator, well wrapped. They can also be frozen for months. In either case, reheat in a steamer. For refrigerated tamales, it will take about 20 minutes and about 45 minutes for frozen tamales.

Note: To make seasoned oil, in a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup vegetable oil over medium heat, add a thick slice of onion and 4 garlic cloves. Cook for 15 minutes until completely browned. Remove onion and garlic before using the oil.

Ingredients

For the tamal dough or masa:

3/4cuplard, vegetable shortening, or seasoned oil(see note at end of recipe)

To make the tamal dough or masa: Place lard, vegetable shortening or seasoned oil in an electric mixer and beat until very light, about 1 minute. Add salt and 1 teaspoon of cold water and continue beating until it is white and spongy, a couple more minutes. Add the baking powder and then alternate adding the instant corn masa and the chicken broth a little at a time. Continue beating until dough is homogeneous and as fluffy as can get. You know the tamal masa is ready when you can drop 1/2 teaspoon of the masa in a cup of cold water and it floats.

To make the filling: Combine the salsa verde with the cooked shredded chicken.

To assemble the tamales: Soak the dried corn husks in hot water for a couple minutes, or until they are pliable, and drain. Lay out a corn husk with the tapering end towards you. Spread about 3 tablespoons of masa into about a 2 to 3-inch square, the layer should be about 1/4-inch thick, leaving a border of at least 1/2-inch on the sides. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle of the masa square.

Pick up the two long sides of the corn husk and bring them together (you will see how the masa starts to swaddle the filling) and fold the folded sides to one side, rolling them in same direction around tamal. Fold up the empty section of the husk, with the tapering end, from the bottom up. This will form a closed bottom and the top will be left open.

Assemble all the tamales and place them as vertically as you can in a container.

To prepare the tamalera or steamer: Place water in the bottom pan of a steamer (so that water is under the steamer) and bring it to a simmer. Line the steamer with one or two layers of soaked corn husks.

To cook the tamales: When you have all tamales ready, place them, again as vertically as you can, into the prepared steamer with the open end on top. If there is space left in the steamer, tuck in some corn husks, so the tamales won’t dance around. Cover with more corn husks, and steam covered with a lid for 50 minutes to an hour. You know the tamales are ready when they come easily free from the husks. They will still be moist, and as they are released from the husks, you will see the moisture, like when you remove good moist muffins from their paper baking cups.

Finished tamales will stay warm for about 2 hours in the steamer. They can be made ahead several days before and stored in refrigerator, well wrapped. They can also be frozen for months. In either case, reheat in a steamer. For refrigerated tamales, it will take about 20 minutes and about 45 minutes for frozen tamales.

Note: To make seasoned oil, in a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup vegetable oil over medium heat, add a thick slice of onion and 4 garlic cloves. Cook for 15 minutes until completely browned. Remove onion and garlic before using the oil.

Made Possible by our Sponsors & Affiliates:

Pati's Mexican Table TV series is produced by FRANK. and WETA Washington, DC, and distributed by American Public Television (APT) to public broadcasting stations nationwide. Corporate funding is provided by SAGARPA, MTB, Avocados from Mexico, La Costeña, and FUD USA.

Hi Pati- I recently tried your recipe but I could not get the Masa to float in ice water. I followed the instructions exactly, but I am not sure why it wouldn’t float, no matter how long I whipped the masa. Any thoughts?

Hi Pati.
Thanks for your wonderfull show and all your recipes.
I tried the tamales recipe and after more than 3 hours of steaming they never cooked. I used a big 25 quart tamalera pot and put husks on the empty part so that the tamales were upright. It steamed really good however the tamales did not cook i used Maseca. Does the brand of the flour or the size of the pot has anything to do with it ???
Also could i have the recipe for CHILEATOLE that people make and sell in Puebla after it rains. Thank you

You can do either! Wrap them well and keep them in the fridge for several days or in the freezer for months. In either case, reheat in a steamer. For refrigerated tamales, it will take about 20 minutes and about 45 minutes for frozen tamales.

Wow My tamales were a success, we just ate them for dinner with some delicious chocolate caliente! Thanks for your amazingly delicious recipes Pati, Merry Christmas!! ( I wish I was able to post the picture I took)

Dear Pati,
How would you use fresh masa from the local tortilleria instead of the dry masa? Just leave out the chicken stock?
My family and I love your show and every recipe we’ve tried from it has become a favorite!
Thank you for making our lives more delicious!

Thank you so much Manda! You can use the fresh masa and then follow the recipe adding the lard/vegetable shortening/seasoned oil, the chicken broth (or other broth), and the salt, and beat the mixture for a long time until it becomes puffy and floats.

Hi Pati, I just made your tamales and I am sooooo happy. They taste great. However I do have a question – When I have finished steaming are they still suppose to be a little mushy? Do they harden up as they sit? I have steamed them 70 mins.
My only other try with making tamales was about 30 years ago and we had to throw them out for the horses. Guess what the horses wouldn’t even eat them they kicked the tamales around for sport. hee hee

I absolutely adore your cooking and your show. Is it possible for you to post a note about the alternative method you mentioned when you demonstrated this recipe on your show: Tamale Casserole? The main layers are clear – masa, filling, masa. But you mentioned something about finishing the top with Salsa Verde, cream? and cheese? And for how long would you bake it? Thank you kindly!

First you bake the casserole with just the masa, filling, and masa, and covered with foil for 50 minutes. Then you add 1 cup of the salsa and top it with cream and grated cheese and bake it for another 10 minutes uncovered.

I made these for my family today…My dad loved them- he was skeptical when I told him that I was making them by hand, by myself. Very impressive to bring over for a holiday! Thank you for your show and your recipes- your excitement for the food and ingredients makes me so very happy when I watch!

Dear Pati,
We had a blast making your tamales this weekend. My wife is a vegetarian so we made one batch of the chicken with salsa Verde and the other we made roasted poblano peppers and zucchini in Salsa Verde. Amazing! Thank you for teaching me this fluffy temal recipe